#the gel pens use the g2 inks but the thing is a lot of other refills work with the same body as long as they're similar enough in size

[dye-it-rouge-et-noir]

I just found a sleep-deprived essay in my drafts???

I have controversial pen related takes that sound incredibly pretentious. Anyways, the Pilot G2 is not that good and I say this as someone who has Pilot as their favorite pen brand. It's okay, but there are better options. I can write an entire argumentative essay on this subject.

[myhoneststudyblr]

my masterpost | my studygram | ask me anything 

[click images for high quality]

[transcript under the cut]

Other advice posts that may be of interest:

All About Procrastination

How To Study When You Really Don’t Want To

Common Study Mistakes

7 Strategies to Improve Concentration

How to Make Your Notes Aesthetic

How to Stop Procrastinating Series

how to improve your handwriting 

examine your handwriting

Everyone's handwriting is different! So the first thing you need to do is look closely at your unique style so you know what you need to work on.

First, write out the alphabet and some sample sentences on a piece of paper. Here are some things you can look for:

Does your handwriting slant in a certain direction?

Is your handwriting fluid and relaxed or controlled?

Is your handwriting joined or printed?

Are there any letters that aren't formed properly?

Are there any letters that look too similar to each other?

Are your letters inconsistent in size?

Circle any letters that aren't quite right so you know which ones to focus on. 

choose the right pen

You should never underestimate the power of a good pen! Having a pen that flows nicely and fits comfortably in your hand can make all the difference to your handwriting! Unfortunately, finding a pen that suits you can take time and lots of experimentation and I can't just tell you what to use!

What should you look for in a good pen?

Does the ink flow smoothly?

What size nib does the pen have? (Some handwriting looks better with a thicker or thinner line width so try out different sixes to see what suits yours!)

Is it a gel, fountain, or ballpoint pen?

Is it thick enough that you can hold the pen in a relaxed grip? (A thicker barrelled pen can help to extend the fingers and loosen a tense grip)

Popular pens

Muji Gel Ink Pens (what I use!)

Pilot G2 Retractable Premium Gel Ink Roller Ball Pen

Pentel EnerGel Deluxe RTX Gel Ink Pen

Uni-ball Jetstream Stick Roller Ball Pen

Zebra Gel Pen Sarasa Clip

Find the right paper

Just as a good pen is important, so is the paper you use! Do you prefer lined, square or dotted paper? Does the pen flow smoothly on the paper? Does ink bleed through the paper? Again, it is about finding what works for you!

experiment with position and rotation of paper

We are generally taught to keep our paper in a vertical position in front of us. If that works for you, great! If not, feel free to experiment with different paper rotations. Keeping the paper at a certain angle can go a long way in helping you to improve your handwriting!

Like most aspects of handwriting, paper rotation is a personal thing, so try lots of different angles to find what fits. Right-handed people should start at the vertical position, and rotate the paper to the left until writing feels easy and comfortable. Left-handed people should start at the vertical position, and rotate the paper to the right.

Padding the Paper

No matter what paper you use, it should always have a few more sheets of paper under it. This allows the pen to write more smoothly and is easier on your hand. It doesn't need a lot, just a couple pages! 

slow down

Anyone who has done an exam knows that having to write really fast can make your handwriting deteriorate. We are often forced by school to write as fast a possible, so much so that for many writing fast becomes a habit to the detriment of our handwriting.

Therefore, it's incredibly important to consciously slow down when trying to improve your handwriting. Take the time to form each letter correctly and ensure the spacing, sizing and slant is consistent. As you practice this neater handwriting and get used to how it flows, you will naturally be able to increase your speed as you become more confident.  

embrace your personal style

Handwriting is a very fluid, personal thing that is always evolving. Your handwriting at this very moment is probably very different to what it was a year ago. Handwriting is not like calligraphy, where you more or less write the same every time. Instead, you’ll have neat days, and you’ll have not-so-neat days! That's perfecting natural!

No matter how your handwriting looks, it is a reflection of you and your personality. So, don’t get too hung up on a radical change that completely alters how you write: instead, focus on making clearly formed letters that are easy to read and neater.

Remember it's not about getting it "perfect", but rather, progressing and improving over time.

practice and persevere

Like anything, handwriting takes time and practice. The more you write using good habits and implementing styles that appeal to you, the better your handwriting will get.

But at the same time, sometimes it will look worse before it gets better, which can be demotivating. Therefore, it is important to persevere and remember that it will improve. You might also not even fully notice the gradual improvement so make sure to look back over your past handwriting to see how far you have come!

Ideas for Practice

Quotes

Song lyrics

Pangrams

Crosswords

Journalling

Snail mail

Shopping lists

School workbooks

Doodle

Thank You!

I hope that this will help you improve your handwriting and that you found this useful!

[azurite-writes]

Problem One: The Screen(s) and Digital Workspace

Part one of my multi-part doc about what I learned from doing online college at a non-online institution. This chapter: my Desktop as a Desk

     Highlighted points: learning styles, work type/function in relation to the computer 

       My biggest problem with being pushed online after being at an in-person institution was, and still is, my forced reliance on the computer. I have to sit in front of it for hours: attending classes on Zoom; checking email every three hours; accessing Moodle pages for class and out-of-class work (Moodle is what my institution uses, other web management/e-learning software platforms include PowerLearning, Blackboard, and OU Campus, among others). And the work itself can be watching documentaries, watching seminars, accessing ebook/PDF documents, annotating documents in online portals… it's a lot. People have talked at length about "zoom fatigue," as well as the eyestrain headaches that can come with staring at said screens for hours at a time. I'll talk about my own lessons learned about that later.

       The assumption among the administrators and (some) people of older generations than those currently in school seems to be that working online with computers and smartphones is more efficient. That isn't necessarily true; it all depends on the type of task and the person being expected to complete it. In my case, I cannot, for the life of me, focus on dense sections of text presented on a backlit screen. Thus, reading and answering emails is okay, but downloading scanned textbook pages to be read on a laptop screen (along with trying to highlight and annotate them) is hell on earth.

       Why is this? Different reasons for different people, but in my case it's because reading/"writing" on a screen interferes with my learning style(s), which are visual/spatial, audio, and kinetic. Audio doesn't come into play for reading on a screen, but seeing words physically in a certain location relative to other words on a page is very important to my memory of the material. Computer screens can display pretty much anything at any given time; book pages can only display whatever was permanently printed onto them. That is, the content of a book page in physical space will always be the same unless you, the reader, manipulate it; a computer screen can have any type of content displayed as long as its pixels can light up and process the information. And for me, that's a problem because I don't have any physical space to relate the information to, plus I don't get a sense of how long the document is. Recalling a passage in a printout, for me, goes like this: "I remember it was on the top-left of a page towards the beginning, the shape of the paragraph was funny too… ah, there it is." Recalling a passage on a digital scan of the same document is much harder for me by contrast: literally any of the paragraphs could have made its way to the top-left of my computer screen, if I moved the window around or zoomed in to better read the text; documents are an endless scroll upward or downwards, with (maybe) a sidebar to tell me what page I've landed on. All of my "landmarks" are functions of the program I am using to access the document. They're static and contained to a window... that can show up anywhere on my computer screen. Not conducive to the way I learn at all.

       My kinetic learning style comes into play with the computer, too. Annotating a document? In the physical world, a pen on the document itself does the trick; going through the physical movement of circling a word or making a note are things that solidify the information in my mind. Annotating a PDF document? First of all, it's difficult to do with a mouse (and God help you if you have a trackpad), and it's highly dependent on the program that the user selects to open the PDF. I could connect a drawing tablet, if I have one, but they're very expensive and their use is, again, dependent on the compatibility with whatever reader program the user selects. All this to say: annotating on the computer doesn't work for me, either. My kinetic and visual learning styles come together with note-taking. My memory is highly dependent on seeing words as they are formed by my own hand, processing them, and connecting meaning to them as they sit in a specific place on the page (am I over-explaining this? Basically, writing notes by hand and seeing where those notes are on a piece of paper help me remember them). Typing notes isn't a replacement for hand-writing notes for me; while I'm busy fixing my typos (on words I would never misspell on paper, usually, since my fingers are just moving weirdly over the keys), the professor moves on, and I'm not listening well enough to catch the fact that I've missed new information.

       The takeaway here is figure out your individual types of work relate to being on the computer. As I said, the computer hinders many aspects of my learning when it comes to memory and efficiency. As a creative tool, however, it has almost the opposite effect; writing assignments for fiction, poetry, and screenwriting classes are much more efficient on the computer. From creative thought to keystroke, I have less time to second-guess or forget my ideas, and both the immediacy and changeability of word processing programs actually works in my favor for those sorts of things.

       What I did differently from first online semester to second:

       1) I figured out which materials helped me remember my notes the best. Honestly, I wasn't even doing this when I was at in-person college, and to my detriment, but I couldn't get away with it at all once I went fully remote. Think back to when you were in lower levels of school: were there certain types of materials you gravitated towards in the classroom? Did you like basic composition notebooks with faint blue lines? Wide-ruled or college-ruled paper? Did you discover that graph paper just worked really nicely with all notes besides math, or that blank pages were less busy for your eyes? When you used pens, did you prefer blue or black ink, or did colored ink help certain things stick? If you can control what materials you use to take notes with, consider using ones akin to those from a class you either a) remembered the most fondly or b) remembered the most information from. Scour your memories of class experiences for anything, no matter how small, that may have made your life easier. Equally, take note of what tasks actually worked well digitally. Adjust accordingly.

(Personally, I found my magic formula was a 1-subject memorandum notebook — marginless, with very narrow line rulings; while I hesitate to direct you to Amazon, they are hard to find at a decent price otherwise, and you can get a 12 pack for just over $40 from them — with black ink from a 0.38-size gel pen (I used a basic Pilot G2 pen until it ran out, then bought ink refills in the smaller size). To "highlight" my notes, I circled or underlined information with a blue gel pen of the same variety. Keep in mind again that I'm learning to be a translator; this is just what works for me.)

       2) If I needed to print something out, I printed it out. Environmental guilt is something I struggled with a lot, and there was always something about staying on the computer that convinced me I was being "less wasteful" by staying digital. But with how much time and energy I ultimately saved reading a printed document that can be recycled vs the electricity I ate up spinning my wheels in front of the ebook… to me, it was worth it. If you find that helps you, too, don't be ashamed to print certain things out.

(If conserving ink and paper is a concern to you, it is possible in some viewing/editing apps to remove or cover images, either with white squares or by taking the images out completely. I have an old MacBook Pro and on current versions of Preview, one can draw shapes and fill them in white to cover parts of the scan that would eat up ink, such as blurred black borders and scanned images. For documents in a word processing program like Microsoft Word or Pages, it may also be possible to print the documents out at a smaller size, allowing more text or even multiple pages to show up on a single sheet of paper.)

| In the coming days/weeks I hope to be posting more content about how I tried to adapt to fully remote learning and the things I’ve learned along the way! Follow for updates ♥︎ |

[astrastudy]

I thought I would make a little review of some of the new school supplies I got for this upcoming year! So here it is under the cut :-)

So what I did for this little review is I made a test page of the pens I used last year (which have now become my secondary pen set which will be used either for in-class notes or perhaps for flash cards) and the pens I bought to start of the new year! I did this also for the highlighters I am using.

From top to bottom, here is what I have to say:

At the very top is a test of a .38 G2 pen. These have been my favorite pens because the point is so fine, and the pilot G2s have been a family favorite for a long time. They write very smooth and don’t skip unless they are fairly low on ink. I have also found, as with all pens, that the angle you hold utensils at are also a factor for skipping/being smooth/etc., so maybe my favorite pens won’t work for you if you hold them differently than I do. That being said, my handwriting style and the angle I hold my pens and pencils at changes quite frequently depending on my mood or how much energy I have left. In any case, the only downside of the .38 G2s is that you have to wait a good few seconds before they dry and you can run a highlighter over them, or move your finger over a word without smearing.

Below that is a sample of the .5 Pilot Juice pens. I really like that these pens have a clip on them (a feature I rarely use, but incredibly appreciate). They write pretty well (a little rough, but the effect is still decent and unless you are really picky about that kind of thing it shouldn’t be a problem) and they come with a lot of colors. I’d say they are decently cost effective as you get 12 colors and they last a long while. The only real problem I had with them, which is what caused me to want to get new pens for this upcoming year, is that the light/yellow-green pen is hard to see, and is the only pen that really skipped or had trouble seeing it. 

Underneath those is where I wrote samples from my new pens, which are Tul .5 retractable gel ink pens. These I purchased from an actual store, as opposed to all the other supplies I talk about here, which I bought off of amazon. These pens write fantastically smooth, particularly when I am using cursive or another more comfortable hand position. This solves a (very minor) problem I had with the Pilot Juice pens, which required a more consistently upright hold from me. The downside is you don’t get as many pens as other packs (in this case, the Juice pens) and for a greater price. So, not very cost-effective, but if they last me throughout this year, they may become my pens of choice. They also feel quite comfortable in my hand, but I haven’t tested them with any long periods of writing yet. 

Onwards to the highlighters! The Zebra Mildliners and Stabilo Boss pens are really popular among studyblrs so I have wanted to try them for a long while! I got the Zebra pens I’d say about a year and a half ago? almost two? and they have lasted me a long time! They still work great! I don’t use them for everything, and I am not the most avid highlighter, especially since these colors I have are the neutral tones which are a bit darker. Overall, I think they are pretty good, and I like how they have the double tips for highlighting and underlining. I can only imagine that the other, brighter colors would work just as well. 

The reason I went to try the Stabilo Pastel this year is because I did want some pastel colors for more frequent use, and I ultimately decided to try out these pens instead of ordering a different pack of the Mildliners to see what all the fuss is about! They are definitely a little bulky, but I do like their color, consistency, and thickness of their tips.

That’s about it-that’s all the supplies I have to talk about. I hope it was helpful, or at least entertaining! I’ve never made a post like this before so hopefully I didn’t make a mockery of the practice, haha. :-)

[waywardflowerturtle]

Having used every model of pen in this image for writing, I'm going to not just choose one, but rank them all:

Rank 7: #7 Functional, usable, cost-effective. If you are filling out forms, you could do worse, but if you have a passion for writing you should be using something with better control and finesse.

Rank 6: #1 Runny. If you have a light touch this can be better, but I've always had a bad time with the Uniball line smearing when I write quickly, impairing legibility. The biggest plus on the uniball is that it's a proper capped pen.

Rank 5: #3 I used to love grips, they were a good replacement stim for pen use after I got a mouthful of Bic ink from chewing on the back of pens in high school... Anyway, my real problem on this model isn't the grip, it's that I've come to hate any pen with unnecessary mechanical parts, like a retractable tip.

Rank 4: #6 This looks like my felt marker-pens. Really nice for strong, consistent lines, but most modern paper is not a good fit for it IMO. It bleeds on light paper, and feels like scratches through my arm on heavy paper. You need a fine and smooth paper to use this best.

Rank 3: #5 See Rank 5. Grips and a retractable tip, but it is a Pilot which earns it some saving points. I actually still regularly buy Pilot G2 pens for travel, because the cases are sturdy, but this is the last pen in the list I would choose to use as a preference -- the earlier ones I would generally only use if I had no better choices.

Rank 2: #4 Sleek and stylish, ink sets relatively well. Gel pens can bleed through a lot of paper. Capsule form is nice for handling. This is one of the better Uniball models, IMO.

Rank 1: #2 If you aren't choosing the Pilot Precise V5, you are wasting ink and paper for your writing. If you want to letter efficiently and effectively with one of the best pens on the market for technical handwriting, this is the one you should get. The only thing Pilot could improve is the style with a capsule-shape, but for technical fans of handwriting, that's entirely a matter of flair, and unnecessary.

If I had to pick one model of pen to be my handwriting pen of choice for the rest of my life, it would be the Pilot Precise V5 (rolling ball, black ink, in extra fine). Luckily, in real life, all of these have their use cases:"

The simple Bic (#7) is great for institutions who have a lot of people handling a lot of pens. They're cheap and effective, and provide consistent results on page for formal settings.

The Uniballs are great if you have the right control, but I'd probably recommend them for experts who aren't yet ready to move to fountains. Uniball ink, when it is dry, is one of the more stable in my experience.

The Sharpie is... good for labels, but not my choiice for on-the-spot writing.

The Pilots are the standouts, from the G2 to the Razor Point to the Precise V5. From novice or student to professional or dedicated hobbyist, you can find a Pilot that suits your needs.

DISCLAIMER: I am not sponsored by Pilot, Bic, or any other company mentioned in this post. These are my personal opinions only.

If you aren’t choosing 5, you need help. 

[emmastudies]

Good day to you Emma! School is starting soon, and we're going stationery shopping! However, I have a hard time choosing between this few pens: Zebra Sarasa Clip 0.5 and 0.3, Pilot Juice in 0.5 and 0.38, Pilot G2 in 0.38, Uniball Signo Needle in 0.38. Which pen would you recommend?

Hey! :-) Best part of starting school again, am I right?! I’ll give a little run down of my opinions:

Zebra Sarasa - I use the 0.7 and, to be honest, do find them a bit too thick. I wish I’d gone for the 0.5 but it isn’t a big enough issue for me to change them! They’re super smooth to write with which is lovely. The colour selection is great too. I like pens which come in the packs, makes it a lot better and usually more economical. They do come out a bit inky/wet sometimes but not really a huge issue for me. I get the occasional smudging only if I touch it. Generally, I have no big problems. One minor thing I have found is they are quite thick pens (in shape). Again, not a massive issue but sometimes after a while my fingers get a little tired and stop holding the pens as nicely. Could just be a me issue but worth a mention. They work well with highlighters, only seems to smudge a teeny tiny bit sometimes. 

Pilot G2 - my go to bullet journal pen for a long time! I used the 0.38 and bought 3 pens because I used it so much. Really comfortable grip which is a key thing for me. I truly love this pen, is that weird haha! My only dislike was how expensive they were. They seemed to be quite expensive for just one so wanting to buy a selection of 8-10 colours seemed excessive. If you look through some of my bullet journal pictures on Instagram, most of the highlighted words aren’t very smudged. In some colours, it seems to give a ‘shadowy’ effect but I don’t think you’re ever going to get a gel pen that has absolutely no smudging.

Pilot Juice - I have the 0.38, I like the size but would perhaps try the 0.5 if I could. Sometimes it comes out very thin and other times it doesn’t, depends on the pressure I guess. Like the others, they do smudge but only ever if you touch it straight after. I’m in the habit of leaving ink to dry before touching it so it never really bothers me unless I accidentally touch it. Compared to the others, it probably has the most smudging or shadowiness when it comes to highlighting. I use them Juice in my planner so tend not to highlight them at all. I have used them for notes but found them a little too thin and sometimes scratchy but really not an issue.

I haven’t used the Signo pen so can’t give you an opinion on that one! I don’t think I could pick a definitive favourite really. My most used for everyday scribbles is probably the Zebra Sarasa since I know have the different colours. I feel the Juice is nicest for when I want to write nicely in my planner! I hope this helps :-) xxx

[pyrateblr-blog]

Okay, but real talk, you guys.  Studying will be, always, entirely more fun with cute supplies to do it with, and the Aesthetic™ is real.  The problem is, a lot of the really cute supplies also cost an arm and a leg, and between you and me, no broke-ass college student’s got the time or money for that.  But just because some supplies are expensive af doesn’t mean you can’t have cute things on a shoestring budget.

So let me tell you about the Dollar Tree.  If you live in the US, chances are you’ve seen the bright green sign in shopping centers.  Some are fairly large, some are super tiny, but the thing they all have in common is being full of cheap stuff.  But in this case cheap doesn’t always mean bad. This will be Part One of my How To Get That Studyblr Aesthetic When You’re Broke series, so keep an eye out.

Dollar Tree:  Everything is literally a dollar, and sometimes you come across really awesome (and sometimes Namebrand™!) things.  My G2 gel pens came from here (black and blue).  Most of my utilitarian sticky notes did, as well (since I burn through them) and they come in cute colors (and some are lined!  some have shapes!).  Tabs (1 2) to mark chapters in my books or notes, super cute small and large binder clips, composition notebooks with cute covers...I went today (01.17.17) before class, and they had stamps for planners!  Those clear ones with checklists and things.  Ink, block, and stamps would set you back a whopping $3.  The one local to me has pink and purple Energel pens.  You can find super cute A5-ish notebooks if you’re looking to get into bullet journaling (I have this whole set), or just want a new one.  I got some super cute owl snack cups to take snacks to school with me.  In fact, you can see my whole little $7 minihaul from today right here. The INC and Promarx brand pens are actually super nice quality.  I use both regularly.  INC makes a nice fineliner that comes out much cheaper than Staedlter or Stabilo, and Promarx gel pens are also skip-free in my experience.  And the INC R2 and Precisions are on par with Pilot V5s. The also have super cute washi tape.  I have so much washi tape from there.  It’s a bit thicker and more papery than the more expensive kinds, but it sticks well, and I like it.  I literally use it on everything, even used it cover my Muji notebooks, and you get pretty good yardage for very cheap.

Like stickers?  Like scrapbook stuff for your notes/bullet journals?  Larger Dollar Trees have huge sections for it, and I have found so much cute stuff to use when I go back to my hometown.  Keep your eyes peeled.

Modge Podge is available at mine, so take a look at your own, you might be able to score a bunch cheap, along with some glitter to make yourself some super cute glitter-dipped coffee/tea mugs.  They have cheap nail polish, too, if you want that watercolor look for cute mugs, or you just want a cheap, quick, and dirty manicure.  Because let’s be real, guys.  Sometimes you want to feel pretty even when you don’t have $40+ to shell out for having someone else paint your nails.

Desk organization is important, and Dollar Tree has stuff to help there, too.  Wire pencil cups, a little bit of embroidery floss and a needle, and some patience, and you can have a super cute customized pen cup.  How about some cute magazine files for extra paper or folders?  They’ve got other storage things out the wazoo; a bucket in a nice, bright color makes the best desk trash bin, let me tell you.

And if you happen to see the candles in little glass coffee takeaway cups, they really smell like different types of coffee, and are absolutely worth your dollar. Everything linked above I’ll vouch for personally, as they’re in my own stationary hoard.  I haven’t tried everything just yet, but when I do, I may do a follow up of this.  So that’s the Dollar Tree.  Next time we’ll be looking at somewhere else - What you can either get from Walmart or Dollar General (depending which one I hit up first), so stay tuned.

[goope-jp-tenmei]

Staying Organized with the Pilot G2

This summer is just flying by! I know some of you have probably already started back at school, but here in DC we have two weeks of summer vacation to go. And while I love slow summer days and the break from our normal routine, it definitely requires a bit more effort to stay organized and on top of my to do list during this time of year. Today I’m partnering with Pilot Pen and their amazing G2 pens to share how I’m staying organized this summer – as a mom and creative entrepreneur – as part of their G2 Overachievers program! You’ll also want to read below for some exciting info about two Pilot G2 initiatives, including a chance to win a Target shopping spree and year supply of G2 pens and the G2 Overachievers Grant with Shonda Rhimes!

For most of this summer, Sophie has been going to a summer camp with some of her friends from school, while Alice continued at the daycare she has attended full-time since just after her first birthday. But I wanted to get a bit of mama time with my girls before school starts back up – especially since Alice will be starting her first year of preschool. So for the next two weeks we’ll be doing Mama Camp! It’s a total departure from my normal routine, and it will mean a lot of late nights to keep up with work, but it’s worth it to get a couple weeks of quality time with my girls.

The general idea for Mama Camp is that we’ll go on a different adventure every day. We’ll be outside as much as the weather permits, visiting some of our favorite local farms, playgrounds, and splash pads. For rainy days, we’ll either visit a museum or indoor playground – or hang out at home for an arts and crafts day. I’m treating this like a real summer camp, so I’m packing a lunch for the girls the night before and planning all of our activities in advance so they know what we’re doing each day.

I wanted to make sure I had a plan for each day of Mama Camp, so I put together a quick schedule with all the things I want to do that week on one of my weekly planner notepads. I’m planning one major activity for each day and will pack a lunch so we can eat on the road or have a little picnic when we arrive at our destination. Depending on our adventure for the day, we’ll end the afternoon at one of our favorite local play grounds to get some wiggles out before heading back home. It’s going to be really exhausting, but also so much fun!

Meanwhile, there is still the to-do list to keep up with! Back-to-school shopping, appointments to make, and a business to run. DC public schools mostly require uniforms, which makes back to school shopping a bit easier, but I need to make sure I have uniforms for Alice and check to see if Sophie has already outgrown her uniforms from last year. She’s getting so big! I also need to pick up the necessary school health and dental forms, plan the party for their upcoming birthdays, make some travel arrangements for an upcoming wedding, and manage my other projects. Mom life!

Anyone else out there a classic overachiever? I’ve been an overachiever as long as I can remember. I’m goal-oriented, I love a good challenge, and I’m always thinking about my next project. I’m constantly making lists for everything – from grocery shopping to a shot list for photographs I want to get when taking pictures for a blog post. And there’s absolutely nothing more satisfying than crossing steps off a list while working towards a bigger goal! A good pen is an absolute necessity for all that list making, which is where the Pilot G2 comes in. The G2 is the #1 selling pen in America, with super smooth writing and longest writing gel ink. The G2 comes in 4 point sizes: ultra fine (0.38mm), extra fine (0.5mm), fine (0.7mm), and bold (1.0mm), and is retractable and refillable. I’m most excited by all the fantastic colors that the G2 comes in: 15 vibrant core colors plus metallics and pastels!

You can find the Pilot G2 at Target, Walmart, and other major retailers, and stock up for all of your list making and bullet journaling needs! You can even sign up for the G2 Overachievers Club with Target, where you can enter to win a $5,000 Target shopping spree and a year’s supply of G2 pens (3 winners), $100 Target gift card and a year’s supply of G2 pens (10 winners), and exclusive coupons.

Pilot Pen is also partnering with Shonda Rhimes to invite you to nominate yourself or someone you know for a $50,000 G2 Overachievers Grant. This grant will go to someone who goes above and beyond their everyday duties to help improve the lives of others. Last year’s recipient was Dr. Rebecca Constantino, founder of Access Books in Los Angeles. And this year they’ve expanded the program to include a $15,000 G2 Overachievers Student Grant for applicants age 13-19.

Wish me luck for the next two weeks of Mama Camp! To all my fellow mamas out there: how are you staying organized this summer and getting ready for back-to-school season? Share your to-do lists or organization tricks in the comments below or via social media using the #d0youG2 hashtag! 

Also, don’t forget to sign up for the G2 Overachievers Club with Target here and nominate someone for the G2 Overachievers grant right here!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Pilot Corporation of America (Pilot Pen). The content and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make Oh So Beautiful Paper possible!

var ts=document.getElementById('ti-pixel-tracker'); var axel = Math.random() + ""; var num = axel * 1000000000000000000; var ti=document.createElement("img"); ti.style.display="none"; ti.src="http://ift.tt/2hEOCM6" + String.fromCharCode(38) + "i=f0LK1" + String.fromCharCode(38) + "ord="+ num + String.fromCharCode(38) + "s=" + encodeURIComponent(document.referrer); ts.parentNode.replaceChild(ti,ts); JSON.stringify({"program_id":"a5a258e4-5cee-11e7-b97a-22000a66c666","post_id":"568af71e-733e-11e7-a79e-22000a7d00a4"});

from Oh So Beautiful Paper http://ift.tt/2uC3uw8 via IFTTT